Job, 29

1. And Job continued his solemn discourse. He said:

1. And Job again took up his discourse, and said:

2. Will no one bring back to me the months that have gone, and the days when God was my guardian,

2. "Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;

3. when his lamp shone over my head, and his light was my guide in the darkness?

3. when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness;

4. Shall I ever see my days of harvest again when God protected my tent;

4. as I was in my autumn days, when the friendship of God was upon my tent;

5. when Shaddai still dwelt with me, and my children were around me;

5. when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

6. when my feet were bathed in milk, and streams of oil poured from the rocks?

6. when my steps were washed with milk, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

7. When I went out to the gate of the city, when I took my seat in the square,

7. When I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the square,

8. as soon as I appeared, the young men stepped aside, and the old men rose to their feet.

8. the young men saw me and withdrew, and the aged rose and stood;

9. Men of note broke off their speeches, and put their hands over their mouths;

9. the princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth;

10. the voices of rulers were silenced, and their tongues stayed still in their mouths.

10. the voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

11. On hearing me, people congratulated me, on seeing me, people deferred to me,

11. When the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it approved;

12. because I freed the poor in distress and the orphan who had no helper.

12. because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless who had none to help him.

13. The dying man's blessing rested on me and I gave the widow's heart cause to rejoice.

13. The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

14. Uprightness I wore as a garment, fair judgement was my cloak and my turban.

14. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban.

15. I was eyes for the blind, and feet for the lame.

15. I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.

16. Who but me was father of the poor? The stranger's case had a hearing from me.

16. I was a father to the poor, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.

17. I used to break the fangs of the wicked, and snatch their prey from their jaws.

17. I broke the fangs of the unrighteous, and made him drop his prey from his teeth.

18. And I used to say, 'I shall die in honour, after days as numerous as the sand.

18. Then I thought, `I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand,

19. My roots can reach the water, the dews of night settle on my leaves.

19. my roots spread out to the waters, with the dew all night on my branches,

20. My glory will be for ever new and the bow in my hand for ever strong.'

20. my glory fresh with me, and my bow ever new in my hand.'

21. They waited anxiously to hear me, and listened in silence to what I had to say.

21. "Men listened to me, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.

22. When I had finished, no one contradicted, my words dropping on them, one by one.

22. After I spoke they did not speak again, and my word dropped upon them.

23. They waited for me as though for rain, open-mouthed as though for a late shower.

23. They waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.

24. If I smiled at them, it was too good to be true, they watched my face for the least sign of favour.

24. I smiled on them when they had no confidence; and the light of my countenance they did not cast down.

25. As their chief, I told them which course to take, like a king living among his troops, and I led them wherever I chose.

25. I chose their way, and sat as chief, and I dwelt like a king among his troops, like one who comforts mourners.